


Sons of Loki

by Tayani



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Arranged Marriage, Dragon Riders, Dragons, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Magic, Original Universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Rating May Change, Soul Bond, Soulmates, irregular updates, longfic, original lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 07:24:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17783108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: Five hundred years ago, there was a war between humans and dragons; one that ended in pain, misery and sacrifice.Now, centuries later, the fragile peace is hanging in balance. In between the schemes and intrigues, a bastard prince and an outcast dragon find one another, their souls bound together by fate.





	Sons of Loki

**Author's Note:**

> This work inspired the wonderful Hina to draw some BREATHTAKING pieces! You can see them all here:
> 
> [character sheet for the whole story](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1093878119902134277?s=20)   
>  [Goro with his dragon](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1096076624452349955?s=20)   
>  [another Goro with his dragon](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1100168673518673920?s=20)

“Hiding from the party?” 

Sojiro’s voice was quiet and filled with amusement as he carefully inched closer to Ren along the narrow windowsill and sat down.

From the castle behind them, light, music and sounds of laughter and talking were flooding out through the windows; but on the stone windowsill the two of them sat on was much quieter. Ren sighed, leaning his head back; he could feel his horns scratch unpleasantly against the chipped, old wall. 

He was a young dragon, just turning twenty that day; and yet Ren had a certain flair about himself that set him apart from other youngsters his age. In this form - the form his body took that didn’t require half a mountain just to accommodate him - he was a handsome young man, perhaps able to pass for a human, were it not for his tail and horns, and small patches of dark scales littering across parts of his skin. His tail, too, was dark with bits of crimson woven in it; but his horns were white like bone, sticking out from the mess of dark hair.

He looked at his fellow dragon with a sheepish smile before looking towards the horizon once more. They sat in silence for a while, watching the dawn break around them, the flood of light slowly turning the dull grey of the forest before them into lush greens, yellows and reds of early autumn. The land of the dragons was beautiful. From the wall of the thick, dangerous forest that protected it from humans better than any army could from the East, through green, lush plains littered with tiny villages and fields feeding their people. It stretched all the way to the mountains their stone home has been built upon and to the sea surrounding this bit of paradise.

It looked peaceful and prosperous in the silent hours of the dawn; and it really was. The sight usually calmed Ren down in moments of anxiety; now, however, it did nothing to lift his mood.

“I just… wanted a moment alone.” He said finally, looking back at the man who - ever since he could remember - was like a father to him. Sojiro smiled lightly, still looking towards the horizon.

“A moment alone, or an escape from your own birthday celebration? You'd  ran off so fast, I didn’t even manage to give you your gift.” 

Ren looked to the side, his big, silver eyes wide in surprise. Sojiro laughed and handed him a fairly long, thin package. Inside, there was a dagger; sharp and sleek, black like the scales shining on Ren’s tail.

“It’s custom that a dragon receives a dagger when he comes off age.” Sojiro said quietly, watching as Ren delicately surveyed the blade, eyes shining in delight. “This isn’t a toy, kid. It’s something you need to use wisely. They say dragons don’t have need for weapons… and in this day and age, perhaps we really don’t. But I found a dagger never comes amiss.”

“Thank you…  _ father _ . It’s beautiful.” Ren smiled, looking back to his new dagger once more, giving Sojiro time to wipe a stray tear that shone in his eye. Slowly, balancing on the narrow ledge they were sitting upon, Ren wrapped the belt the dagger came with around his waist and sheathed it carefully.

“Now you look like a proper adult.” Sojiro smiled, ruffling his hair. Ren snorted, shaking his head lightly, tossing his raven curls all over the place. Soon, however, his face fell again; and he sighed, staring towards the rising sun.

“I’d say it’s unlike you, to be brooding alone on the night of your twentieth birthday… and your wedding day.” 

Ren groaned quietly, and Sojiro chuckled, shaking his head. 

“I thought that was the case.” 

Around them, the light flooded the realm and awakened the dark-grey, stone castle that was their home. Ren looked down; his eyes watching as his tail swished lightly over the emptiness underneath.

“Do I  _ have to _ , Sojiro?” Ren asked, finally looking at him. 

“You know the rules.” Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. “You need to go, Ren. Make it quick. The sooner you leave, the sooner it’ll be over.” 

Ren bit his lip and nodded, slowly standing up. Sojiro gave him a smile as the younger boy skipped over the narrow ledge, balancing with his tail; with the wall on one side, and emptiness on the other.

“I’ll tell the others to keep on celebrating. We’ll be waiting for you to return.”

 

* * *

 

It was perhaps surprising, how easily people seemed to accept what should be unacceptable.

Take the current political situation of the Capital, Goro thought, as he stared West, towards the dark, cloudy sky. Somewhere on the horizon, he knew, there was the forest border of their land; the green wall separating everything he knew and the unknown. The land of dragons, which many people he met - foreign emissaries to his father and such - still treated like half-legend. And yet, this legend was what kept their kingdom safe; what made them live in unbroken peace and prosperity. What made the merchants prosper and flood the towns and villages with coin and goods that made life comfortable and happy.

No one thought the price they needed to pay for it was high.

Goro closed his eyes and shuddered; the rope which had bound him to the sacrificial rock was fastened tight enough to bite into his flesh. He could hardly move; and yet, somehow, he could still shiver in fear, no matter how much he tried not to let himself be afraid.

There were dragons, oh yes. In their small kingdom people were never allowed to forget that. Dragons made their little country safe, guarded it from outsiders, effectively discouraged any army thinking of invading or attacking them. In exchange, the dragons asked for only one thing. Every time a dragon came of age, the people of the Capital were to sacrifice a young girl of noble blood, between eighteen and twenty two years old.

No one knew what the sacrifice was for. No one asked why the dragons were killing their daughters. Perhaps the blood of a young girl was some sort of devious rite a young dragon had to perform to truly come of age. Goro realized, a little too late, that it  _ really  _ didn’t matter why he was going to get killed. Not to him, at least.

For centuries, these sacrifices went on; like a distasteful secret no one wished to talk about. It wasn’t a high price, as his father often liked to say. Dragons were not a numerous species. They rarely had to sacrifice more than one girl every few years. And the families who volunteered their daughters were reimbursed in gold and silver; a gift for the great service of keeping their country safe, they said, while counting the money they got for selling their children. 

Yes, it all worked without as much as a hitch, Goro thought bitterly, until now. Until a year came when not one, but three dragons were demanding their claim. 

First went Ann, a bastard child of one of the more prominent nobles. She had refused to be married off to some man thrice her age, and thus her father had no more use of her, and her mother - being a commoner - had no say in the matter. Then, Goro’s own fiancee has been volunteered by her father, in order for him to move up in the tangled world of intrigue the court life in the Capital was. It was an arranged marriage they were supposed to have, and Goro had never wanted to be with Haru; but she was kind, and gentle, and quickly became his friend. 

Until the day she, like he now, had been tied to this rock to be taken by one of the dragons that offered their good-for-nothing noble parents their protection.

The last sacrifice proved to be more difficult. The laws stated clearly, the girl had to be volunteered. Noblemen guarded their children; and anyway, there were hardly any more eligible girls. It seemed that no one would come forward with the third sacrifice, no matter how much money the king had offered. 

And then, the king himself decided to take up the burden. Now that Haru was gone, he no longer had use of his bastard son. Dragons won’t care what they eat, he said, pushing Goro in front of the gathering of the nobility. As long as they could pass him as a girl at first glance, their protectors will be satisfied; and none of the  _ honourable nobles  _ will need to think of sacrificing their own children for years to come. 

Goro cursed, straining against his bonds. He has been dressed up, against his will; doused with perfume to hide his own scent and tied there, right at the break of dawn. Shido didn’t so much as honour him with one last look. He had always wanted nothing more than to sell his bastard son in a way that would benefit him most. Now, he had finally managed to do just that. 

The sun has risen; and straining his eyes, Goro could see a dark shape approaching from over the forest. He gulped and started to trash in his bonds once more; his heart beating against his ribs like a terrified rabbit in its cage, trying to escape. God, no, no, this couldn’t end like this. He couldn’t die here; not like this, not in this way…

Were dragons always this fast? Goro  has never seen a dragon before. He had refused to watch Ann, and then Haru being taken away from the walls of the Capital, as so many others did. The stone circle the sacrifices were tied to was far enough they wouldn’t see much anyway; but the people of the Capital gossiped for days afterwards about two huge dragons coming to take their girls away, some with disgusting, bloody details of what exactly the monsters did to them. 

Goro shuddered; in his head, the mocking voices of the gossipers he heard on the streets resounded, so clear it was as if they were standing right by his ear.

_ He ripped her right in half, together with the stone… I’m serious, I heard it was slashed open, the one they usually tie them to… I heard they only found the ropes, drenched in blood, not even a bone was left… _

The dragon was close now; and Goro closed his eyes, curling his fists tight enough he could feel nails bite into his skin. God, he was going to be sick; he was going to be sick with fear. He didn’t want to die! Not like this! Not before he could even  _ do  _ anything, and…

The ground shook; and Goro opened his eyes again, gasping at the sight that greeted him. He was staring at a huge, long body of a red-and-black dragon; its scales slick like those of a snake, its long body slithering towards him. The dragon was  _ enormous _ ; even just his head, looking as if it was covered with a mask made of white bone, was about the size of Goro himself. 

The boy thought, ridiculously, that with a maw this big, perhaps he really won’t feel a thing when the monster devours him. Perhaps it really will be quick.

And then - because by now, his mind was completely void of any coherent thought - Goro realized he was staring into the creature’s eyes, and noticed how beautiful they were. Huge and glistening on its enormous head; like pools of molten silver. 

For a long moment, the two of them stared at one another. The dragon neared him, and Goro let out a little sound and closed his eyes again, straining back as if he wanted to sink into the stone. He could feel a wave of warm breath flood over him, pleasantly warming up his stiff limbs; and then, something huge lightly nudging against his body. The dragon must have nudged him with its nose, like a damn dog. And then… and then, the dragon sneezed. 

“B-Bless you.” Goro said; and started to laugh, high-pitched and hysterical. The laughter turned into choked-up, panicked sobs as he slumped forward, feeling the dragon retreat. For a while, there was silence, broken only by his terrified sobs; and then...

And then, a feeling of gentle,  _ human  _ hand carding through his hair, releasing them from ugly little braids the people at the castle wove them into in order to make Goro look more feminine. 

“...you’re not a girl.” 

The voice was soft; shy even. Goro’s body was still shaking with sobs and fear; but as he opened his eyes, that all turned to shock. Before him - where the dragon once was - now stood a young man, no taller than he was. A man… with horns and tail, and…

“A-Are you… that… that dragon, is this…”

“That’s me.” The man smiled, and - seeing how Goro took in a sharp breath, ready to panic again - his expression softened, his hand still carding gently through the boy’s hair. 

“Shhhh… Shush, there’s no need to be afraid. Look at me; I will not hurt you. I promise.” The dragon shook his head, and then looked at the ropes binding Goro with a frown. “Let’s get you out of these first, shall we?” 

For someone so convinced he was as good as dead for so long, this was just too much. The idea that not only the huge monster staring him in the eye could turn into a pleasant young man, but also that he was not going to eat him - and quite the opposite, free him - was just too overwhelming to process all at once. Goro didn’t even realize fully what was happening when the dragon pulled out a beautiful dagger from the sheath by his belt and made quick work of slashing through the cruelly- tight binds. All he knew was that he fell down; and that there were warm, strong arms there, ready to catch him and seat him gently down on the grass.

“There.” The dragon whispered, and Goro found himself stare up; exhausted from the panic and fear. The dragon seemed to be confused about something. He looked at Goro’s pale features and wide with fear eyes, at the ugly makeup and dress he has been forced into and sniffed the air again and again, as if he couldn’t quite grasp the situation. Finally - after sneezing a few more times - the dragon sat down opposite from him, so suddenly it made Goro jump.

“...so you really are a man, then.” The dragon asked, as if he wanted to make sure.  _ What are you expecting I reply _ , Goro thought wearily.  _ No, after a moment’s deliberation, I’m a woman after all? _

Still, he wasn’t exactly suicidal enough to say something like this in front of a huge, clawed, fanged apex predator. Even if said predator turned out to be quite nice, and didn’t seem to plan on eating him for now. 

“I’m quite sure I am a man.” He responded blandly. “I check every day.” 

To Goro’s weary surprise, the dragon giggled; not just laughed, but  _ giggled _ . It was… cute. Really, huge beasts with fangs the size of his arm shouldn’t appear  _ cute _ . It was… confusing.

“Well, someone certainly  _ wanted  _ to make you look like a woman. And the perfume… god, this is awful. Not… not you being a man! Just…” The dragon seemed to lose the track of his speech. Goro stared. God, the beast was  _ blushing _ . Goro was really having a conversation, and not being actively eaten by an actual dragon, and said dragon was acting cute. 

All of a sudden, he felt like the hysteria might come back any second.

“Are… are you going to kill me…?” 

“Kill you?” The dragon repeated incredulously. “You know, a lot of girls that come to us say you people think we murder your women; but I never quite believed them. Humans really are a violent species, aren’t you? Why on earth would you agree to give away your daughters, if it meant they were going to die a terrible death?” 

As Goro didn’t reply, stunned, the dragon shook his head with a frown. Again, he had that confused look on his face; but there was also a flush there, and a hint of a shy, disbelieving smile. Slowly, he had extended one of his hands, resting it on Goro’s forearm and starting to massage it, helping him get some circulation back there. It felt… nice. And observing the young dragon flush as he touched him…

It felt even nicer, still.

“So…” He said after a moment, once the dragon moved to his other hand. Goro realized, to his own disbelief, that he was blushing now, too. The dragon’s hands were unlike any human’s; the skin was rough and with little patches of snake-like, slick scales on it, and very warm. It felt… nice against his own. It was a reassuring, relaxing warmth.

“So?”

“The answer to my question would be…?”

“I’m not going to kill you.” The dragon shook his head sharply; and then, seemed to deflate somewhat. “I… well. This is… I’m actually not sure what I’m supposed to do.”

“H-how do you mean that?” 

“Well… you see.” The dragon sighed, biting his lip. “Dragons do not have… females. There hasn’t been a single female dragon for five centuries now. It’s a difficult situation for all of us. We need… human help, so to say, to uh… continue on living. In other words…”

“...you need  _ wives _ .” Goro breathed; and then, once again, started to laugh hysterically. The dragon stared at him for a moment, before awkwardly wrapping his arms around him, pulling him into a hug. It, once again, felt incredibly warm and…  _ safe _ . As his hysteric giggles and sobs slowly turned into quiet, faint hiccups, Goro found to his surprise that he didn’t want to  _ leave  _ that hug. He didn’t remember the last time someone comforted him like this, dragon or not.

Hell, he didn’t remember the last time someone comforted him at all. What was happening to him? This wasn’t how he usually thought. This wasn’t how he usually behaved. He had to get himself back together, only…

...perhaps not immediately right now. Perhaps… just a few minutes more...

“...I feel a bit better now.” He mumbled after a while; when it became too awkward to keep pretending he needed the comfort. To his surprise, the dragon didn’t immediately let go. He was awkward, hesitant in holding him, yes… but he kept doing that, one hand even moving up to stroke through his hair. Goro felt his eyes close as he drunk in the little sign of affection. It calmed him better than any words ever could. 

“I’m glad.” The dragon replied quietly. “And… well. What you have said is true. The sacrifice; the pay we ask of your human city in return for our protection, is wives for us. I assure you every girl is given a choice. None of them, for five hundred years, chose to return to the city. They all agreed to go back with their dragon; most of them, also to marry him.” 

The dragon stuttered, and Goro was willing to bet he was blushing once more. It made him smile, in his exhaustion and relief. Ten minutes ago, he believed he was going to die here; now, he was treated to listen to an exceptionally adorable dragon, while also being held and comforted. 

He could imagine worse ways in which today could have gone. 

As for the beast’s claim that no girl refused to be taken away, if this was what really was happening - and Goro had no reason not to believe him - he wasn’t surprised. All girls were volunteered by their parents, this was the law. If one of your options was going back to the people who sold you, and the other to go with the man who freed you… was there ever  _ really  _ a choice, for any sane person? Hell,  _ he  _ would gladly choose to go, rather than return to that nest of vipers the court was, along with his lying, devious, good-for-nothing  _ father _ … 

Only… leaving would mean… well, leaving. His every chance of revenge, of fulfilling his  _ plans _ , it would have all been for nothing… but then, perhaps it wouldn’t be? With a dragon by his side - and a cute dragon, his mind supplied - would it not give him power he so desperately lacked, for the first time in his life…? Would it not be worth putting his plans on hold, just for a little while?

The only problem then would be...

“I’m a man, though.” Goro mumbled into the dragon’s chest. “This isn’t… a choice you’re going to offer me, is it?”

“Ah… well, I mean…” The dragon let out a sheepish laughter. “I don’t think I’m supposed to, no. I’m supposed to pick up a bride for myself and hopefully make a nice little family, with at least five kids if the Elders were to be  _ truly  _ pleased.” 

Goro blinked. He could be wrong; but he most certainly heard  _ bitterness  _ in the dragon’s voice. Still, he kept quiet, allowing him to continue. His heart hammered in his chest once more; and Goro realized it was not in fear this time, but in hope…

“Only… I don’t want that.” Akira mumbled after a moment; and his hug on Goro tightened just a tiny bit. “I never wanted that. I never wanted a  _ girl _ . You know… my father says that this arrangement has worked for hundreds of years because it’s  _ fate _ ; that it’s fate for the right girl to be given to the right dragon. I… I never really believed him. Well, my two best friends got girls that  _ really  _ were perfect for them, and they adore one another… But how the hell would fate make it so  _ I  _ get my perfect soulmate in this girl if I don’t like girls that way in the first place…? Only…”

“...only you didn’t get a girl.” Goro said. Something… it felt as if something was growing in his chest. Perhaps his heart. All he knew it was warm, and soft, and completely foreign; but it was also such a  _ good  _ feeling, the boy found himself getting lost in it. It confused him. He wasn’t supposed to feel like this; he wasn’t supposed to  _ feel _ . This was just politics, like always. On the side of his head, where the dragon’s cheek was pressing against him, he felt warm breath ghost over his hair. Goro closed his eyes; the thoughts of this being  _ just  _ anything escaped his mind completely. Instead, one word the dragon had said repeated in Goro’s mind again and again; this one particular word beating around it as if it tried to break his skull from the inside. 

_ Soulmate _ …

“No, I didn’t get a girl. And I suppose, if I were to make people at the castle happy, I should leave you here. But…” The dragon smiled; and moved away, and now he was no longer hugging him, Goro was surprised to notice how  _ cold  _ it felt, all of a sudden. He was handsome, was the first thought that broke into the stunned boy’s mind when he saw the dragon’s face again. Handsome and cute, and looking at him like Goro was some miracle, some beauty gifted to him by fate itself…

“But,” The dragon continued. “I never was good at following rules anyway, and I very much don’t care what people at the castle think of me. Today, I thought I’ll be forced into marrying a girl I knew I could never really make happy, and that was my  _ best  _ case scenario. Now, I see a beautiful man in front of me… who’d… who’d I’d be honoured if… I mean, of course if you  _ do  _ want to go back to your family… but then, perhaps… If I am at all pleasing to you, then…”

“You want me…” Goro took a deep breath, feeling a blush on his cheeks deepen. “...to marry you…?” 

The dragon cleared his throat, looking sheepishly to the side. All that fear; all that panic was gone, and Goro felt… he wasn’t sure how he felt, but it made him want to laugh and cry all at once, and yet it was such a  _ good  _ feeling…

He wasn’t used to feeling  _ good _ feelings like that. 

“...I do realize we… do not know each other. I don’t even know your name.” The dragon murmured after a moment. Then, still not looking at him, he took Goro’s hand in his own and pressed a very gentle, very  _ careful  _ kiss to his palm. 

“It is a custom that dragons marry on the day of our twentieth birthday.” He said quietly. “I want you to know you will not be forced to go through with this. If you do not wish to remain here, I will take you with me; I will protect you from anyone, dragon or human, who wishes to hurt you or pressure you into anything you do not desire. I will not touch a hair on your head if you tell me not to. Even if you… do not enjoy me, and do not see yourself with someone like me… I will still keep you safe, and give you the best life in our country I can. And with all that said…”

Finally, the dragon’s beautiful, silver eyes rose to meet Goro’s own; and he spoke again after a moment, which was good, since Goro’s own throat felt too clenched to let out a single sound.

“...god, I want to marry you. I never wanted anything so much in my life.” The dragon breathed. “So… will you marry me, my beautiful stranger? Will you be my companion, forever, knowing you have a choice to refuse me…?”

To his own surprise, Goro found that he  _ could  _ let out a sound. Several ones, in fact. 

“...my name is Goro.” He said, in a choked-up voice. “What’s yours?” 

“Ah… um. Ren.” The dragon replied, somewhat sheepishly. Goro smiled, feeling the tips of his ears go red as he looked down, at their still-joined hands.

“Yes.” He whispered. “I would like to marry you, Ren.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This AU would not have came to be without HiNA. Thank you <3 <3 <3
> 
> And thanks to my wonderful betas, Bloo and Nate, for patiently going through this with me, time and time again ^^
> 
> If you like my stories, you can find me on twitter [@mikan_writings](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings) and/or tumblr at [mikan_writings](https://mikan-writings.tumblr.com/)!


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